


finding your way is easier with friends

by whoopitslup



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, No Magic AU, all the bad kids are queer, canon races tho, canon trauma dealt with, no explicit spoilers, season two references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25041391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoopitslup/pseuds/whoopitslup
Summary: Arthur Aguefort drops the Bad Kids off in the middle of the woods. They survive. And somehow, they thrive.aka I'm tired, in quarentine, and missing the friends I made in an all-queer-folx wilderness trip I went on a year ago, so I just banged out some ideas while staring at a photograph of them which developed into The Bad Kids on a wilderness trip. Unsupervised.
Relationships: The Bad Kids - Relationship
Comments: 11
Kudos: 79





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Posting this first chapter to get a idea of interest. The next chapters should be coming soonish.  
> Also, first posted fanfic, hooray!

Fig looked around for the chaperone she’d been told to find. Her mother had made her go on this stupid trip, some wilderness expedition for queer teens, when it’d become clear that Fig was just going to be a rebellious asshole all summer.

A black man holding a clipboard looked over at her. “Figueroth Faeth?”

“Yeah.”

“Arthur Aguefort. Come along.” The man turned and quickly walked towards the parking lot. Fig half-jogged to keep up as he led her to a van, sliding the door open. Fig climbed in as Aguefort got in the front seat. The van started as Fig stared at the motley crew within it. 

A goblin was in the front row, hugging a large backpack to his chest. He opened it as Fig walked past him and handed her a business card. _Riz Gukgak, ~~Un~~ Licensed Private Investigator _. 

“Um, hi.”

An elf girl sat next to him, avoiding eye contact. Both were dressed rather fancily for a wilderness trip, Fig noted. She slid into the available seat in the second row, next to a half-elf who immediately stuck out his hand, saying, “Fabian Aramais Seacaster, son of Bill Seacaster.”  
“Uh, Fig. Am I supposed to know who that is?”  
A redhead popped up from the last row next to an awkward half-orc clutching a metal flower. “Oh, he says he’s some sort of pirate or something but none of us have ever heard of him,” she said quite jovially. “Oh, I’m Kristen! That’s Gorgug.” 

“Fig.” Fig dug through her backpack, pulling out a clove and lighting it. Fortunately for everyone else, the windows were open. She slouched down in her seat and crossed her arms as the van wound its way through the mountains.

It was nearing midday as the van pulled up to a clearing. Aguefort let them all out, unloading the luggage, and handed Riz a map. “See you kids in a week!” He climbed back into the van and drove off, leaving the kids standing in shocked silence.

“Uh, isn’t he supposed to supervise us? And make sure we don’t die and stuff?” Riz asked.

“We’ll be fine! Let me see that map,” Fabian reached for it. 

They wound up all squatting around the map, Riz producing a compass from the depths of his overstuffed backpack. Fig sat, arms crossed, smoking a clove.

Fig squinted at the map. “Where the hell are we?”

“Here. Aguefort at least marked our path out for us.” Fabian pointed. A red line wound its way through the confusing contour lines.

“Oh, we did wilderness navigation at Helio summer camp! Through corn mostly, but still.” Kristen leaned over the map. 

“Isn’t Helio like super homophobic? How’d your parents let you come on this queer-only trip?” Fig asked.

“Oh, I told them I was going to a Helio summer camp and signed myself up.”

Adaine raised her hand tentatively. “Uh, guys, I think that trail right there might be where we're supposed to go?” The rest followed her pointing finger to the fairly obvious trail leading off deeper into the state park. 

Riz reddened as he looked back and forth between it and the map. “Yeah. I think that’s it.”

A loud crash came from behind them, and they spun around to see Gorgug with his bag half-on, pinning him to the ground. His metal flower was dented. 

“Those things are hard to put on,” Kristen said sympathetically. 

Fabian hefted his backpack with one hand, saying “I don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s not that –” He was cut off as the unwieldy weight of the backpack twisted sharply and pulled him to the ground. Fig hid a chuckle. 

“I see your point,” Fabian said from his heap on the ground.

  
  


The sun was beginning to set when they reached the spot marked as Campground #1 on the map. Fig flopped on the ground dramatically, not bothering to take her backpack off. 

“Fuck,” she commented. “That was a lot.” 

“Don’t we need tents or something?” Gorgug asked.

“... shit, you’re right.” Fig unbuckled her backpack and rolled unceremoniously off it.

“I have this tarp, maybe we use it?” Riz held up a tarp comically larger than him.

After some finagling (Fabian taking charge of tying all the knots), the tarp was awkwardly strung up between trees.

Fabian stood back to admire their work. “Looks pretty good.”  
“I just hope it’ll keep any rain off us,” Adaine said softly.

Riz crawled under the tarp, laying down on his back. “Seems ok.”

“Not to be the responsible one,” Fig said, “but does anyone have any dinner things?”

Everyone’s upper body disappeared into their bags, digging around. Six bear cans, each filled with food, were pulled out.

“How do you open these things?” Riz struggled with the lid. Fig hid a chuckle.

“It’s like a child lock, you gotta push down where the arrows point.” Kristen demonstrated.

“I’ve also got this thing,” Gorgug said. “I think it’s a stove?”

“Oh! I was wondering why I had a couple things of fuel. Here.” Fabian pulled out three bright red water-bottle-looking fuel canisters.

It took a couple minutes to figure out how to hook up the camp stove, but it was lit before too long. 

“Ok, what do you all want? We got pasta, tacos, dunno what the fuck that is,” Fig tossed a large zipbloc aside. “Chili, uh, not sure what else.” 

Adaine crouched next to her. “Pasta’s probably the easiest, it’s probably good if we start simple.”

“I think Adaine’s right,” Riz grabbed a pot. “I’m going to fill this at the nearby stream.”

Several minutes of boiling water later, six bowls of pasta with red sauce were in the hands of six teenagers, who sat in a circle.

“So day one, not a total failure,” Fabian commented.

“Honestly, not much of a failure at all. Except when we all completely missed the path. Thank the gods someone here has the brain cells,” Fig winked at Adaine. She blushed and stared at her bowl.

“Ok, but, is anyone gonna talk about the fact we just got fucking abandoned in the middle of the woods?” Riz looked annoyed. “I mean, if I had my crystal, I would have had my mom – she’s a police detective – to come get us out or check out that guy or something?”

“Treat it like an adventure! Also, fuck cops.” Fig lit her clove.

“Um, maybe don’t smoke in a very flammable forest.” Adaine glanced up at Fig.

“Oh.” Fig took the clove out of her mouth and looked at it for a second before putting it out. “Yeah.”

“Plus, we’re supposed to wind up in Mt. Shieldgaze, according to this map, so we can talk to people there about this.” Fabian turned the map around, pointing at the endpoint of their journey. “But we’re here now so might as well keep going. My father was adventuring much younger than this, so I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

There was a collective eye-rolling.

“Well, we have plenty of food, right? And we’ve got water purification stuff. So, theoretically, we should be fine, as long as we follow the path.” Riz punctuated this statement by immediately shoving his pasta into his face with a collection of odd sounds, which the rest of the group silently agreed not to question.

Adaine punctuated it by quietly repeating, “Theoretically.”

Fig slurped down the last of her pasta. “Plus, check out these awesome stars.” 

“Woah. You can actually see the galaxy spread out across the sky,” Kristen said, as she tilted her head back.  
“Real different than the city.” Fig smiled slightly.

Riz and Adaine began pointing out constellations, mostly for the benefit of each other. 

They wound up under the tarp, curled up in their sleeping bags next to each other, giggling about nothing, as one by one, they each fell asleep.


	2. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bad Kids spend their first full day in the wilderness.
> 
> Also, anecdotes from my trip begin to show up.

Riz awoke to the sound of Adaine boiling water for breakfast – oatmeal. It seemed that oatmeal was the only breakfast they’d been provided, unless that unidentified ziploc Fig had thrown aside last night turned out to be cereal or something. Actually, thinking about it, Riz was pretty sure that oatmeal was the only breakfast they’d been provided.

Riz crawled out of the tarp and mumbled, “Coffee?” Adaine shook her head and gave him a sympathetic smile. Riz curled back into his sleeping bag until Fabian dragged him out. Kristen and Gorgug were already making up their bowls. Gorgug poured a bit of hot chocolate powder into his, making a nice chocolate oatmeal. Kristen noticed, and with a quiet “oh, yum,” put some in hers too.

The two settled down in the same positions as the night before, and it wasn’t long before they were joined by the rest. Riz was still curled into as much of a ball as he could manage while eating his oatmeal.

“Honestly kinda surprised how early we all woke up,” Fig commented between bites.

“Yeah, except for The Ball over there.” Fabian gestured at Riz.

Riz’s ears twitched slightly as he continued shoveling oatmeal into his mouth. 

Kristen yawned as she tied her hair back. “Where're we going today?”

“Further up the trail, I assume,” Fig quipped. Kristen made a face at her.

Fabian pulled the map out with one hand while he balanced his bowl on his knee with the other. Adaine took it from him as it became clear he wasn't doing either well.

She spread it out in the center of the circle. Kristen leaned over it with her spoon sticking out of her mouth. She traced the path with her finger as she said, “Looks like we’re winding up the side of the mountain, oh fuck, river crossing.”

Riz uncurled slightly. “River crossing?” he mumbled.

“There’s a river marked on the map. Dunno how deep or fast or whatever.”

“We’ll cross that river when we come to it,” Fig smirked, looking rather pleased with herself. Gorgug and Kristen chuckled, and Fabian rolled his eyes.

Fabian stood and stretched, “Well, who’s ready to get going?”

Riz mumbled something inaudible and curled up tighter. 

Kristen finished licking her bowl clean and stood. “I'm ready.”

After a few minutes of prodding, Riz was standing with the rest of them, backpacks all buckled up and ready to go. 

It was nearing midday when the group came across the river. 

“Well, shit.” Fig said, staring at the fast-moving current.

“At least it doesn’t seem to be that deep,” Fabian said.

“For you, at least,” Riz grumbled.

The water looked like it’d come up to about thigh-high on Gorgug, who, as an half-orc, was certainly the tallest of the group. 

Gorgug said, “Do you want to ride on my shoulders, Riz? Or, I guess, my backpack.”  
“Uh, yeah, I guess.” Riz allowed himself to be hoisted onto Gorgug’s backpack, clutching on tightly.

“Fuck.” Fig took a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s go.”  
“Um,” Adaine gulped. “Ok.”

Gorgug waded into the water slowly, and the rest followed in a line, hands on each other’s shoulders. Fig felt Adaine’s hand tighten on her shoulder as the water grew deeper. Each stumble was accompanied by gasps. Fig muttered a string of curse words as they waded, which did not help anyone else. Adaine held her breath. 

After what felt like an eternity, they made it to the other side, collapsing in relieved laughter.

“You guys, we did it!” Kristen exclaimed giddily.

“We fuckin’ did it!” Fig excitedly hugged Adaine, who flinched slightly.

Fabian unbuckled his pack. “Who feels like lunch?”

Lunch was peanut butter and jelly or cheese and crackers. Lunch appeared to always be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cheese and crackers. None of them seemed to mind though, and they sat down on a fallen log to eat.

“We’re pretty damn good at this adventuring thing,” Fig said between bites.

“Yeah we are!” Kristen high-fived Fig.

Adaine smiled slightly. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

As they began hiking again, Fig went up to Adaine. Softly, she said, “I hope I didn’t freak you out when I hugged you. If you don’t want me to do it, just say the word.”

“No, uh, I’m just… I’m just not used to it.”

Fig raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further, which Adaine was grateful for.

Kristen fell back to join their small group at the end of the hiking line. “You guys good?”

“Yeah,” Fig said as Adaine nodded.

“Then c’mon slowpokes! We can’t let the  _ boys _ beat us.”

Fig smiled as they sped up, quickly catching up to Riz, Fabian, and Gorgug.

It was not long after that they arrived at the place marked Campsite #2, and the tarp went up much more quickly. As they settled into a circle waiting for dinner to be ready, Kristen went, “So, why’re you all here?”

“Mom forced me to come,” Fig grumbled.

There was an exchange of looks.

With forced chipperness in her voice, Kristen responded, “Well, I hope you’re happy you came.”

Fabian cleared his throat. “My dad said it was good adventuring experience.”

Gorgug looked down at his lap. “My parents wanted me to make some friends.”

There was another awkward pause. 

Riz said, “Uh, it sounded cool, and my mom wanted me to do at least one thing unrelated to detectiving this summer, so,” he shrugged, “here I am.”

“You’re a detective?” Kristen asked.

“Private investigator. Like it says on my business card,” he added, looking slightly hurt that she hadn’t read it. 

“Nice.” Kristen looked slightly confused, but quickly shook it off. “I’m here because a) fuck my parents and b) I wanted some not-straight, not-cis, not-human friends. So success on both parts, I think.”

“How ‘bout you, Adaine?” Riz asked.

Adaine looked up. “Yeah. Fuck my stupid fucking parents.” She swallowed, trying to hide the pain behind that statement.

Fig smiled without humor. “Parents fucking suck man.”

There was a long silence.

“Oh, I think dinner’s ready,” Riz said, glancing over at the pan on the stove. “Should probably grab that before it burns.” He scampered off to it.

“So… does anyone want to talk about their terrible parents?” Gorgug asked as he spooned taco meat into his bowl. “I mean, my parents are great, but also I’m adopted. I’ve been looking for my birth dad for a while but so far, nothing.”  
Fig pointed her spoon at him. “Yes! My mom cheated on my dad with a demon – that’s why I’ve got the horns and shit – and she won’t fucking let me meet him. Look, Gilear’s…” her face screwed up, “Gilear, but I want to know who my real dad is! My mom fucking ruined my life by sleeping with him; she should at least let me meet him to make up for it.”

There was a beat of silence. “Damn,” Fabian said.

“Yeah,” Fig agreed.

Kristen nodded. “Yeah, I just got kissed by a cute girl, had a crisis, and un-signed myself up for Helio camp and came here instead. My parents would 100% kick me out if they knew… but hey, fuck ‘em.”

There was a silence again. Then Fig said with a smirk, “So, who’d you get kissed by?”

“Her name’s Tracker, she’s super cute, she’s got this undercut, and I just really want to kiss her again. Or more.” Kristen added with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Riz and Adaine both made disgusted faces, then smiled at each other.

“Anybody else got crushes?” Fig asked with a wink.

Adaine shook her head. “I’m aroace.”

Riz nodded at Adaine. “I'm… well, I think I’m something like that, so not at the moment.”

Gorgug blushed as attention turned to him, sitting next in the circle. “There’s this cute girl – I’m bi. Her name’s Zelda. She has really good taste in music, and she’s really nice and sweet.”

Kristen poked him with a smile. “Awwww…” She paused, then looked back at Fig. “And you?”

Fig turned impressively red and adopted a very fake casual tone. “What, no!”

“Oh, c’mon.”  
Fig’s blush grew darker. “Fine. There’s this half-phoenix that works at the library, and she’s so fucking hot.” Fig paused and tilted her head in consideration. “Both in the temperature way and in the really attractive way, I guess.”

Kristen grinned. “That’s gay.”

“Fuck off,” Fig said with a smile, though the statement was mostly drowned out by the laughter of the group.

Adaine leaned back, taking a sip from her water bottle. This was… comfortable. Adaine smiled.

The teasing gossip and giggling lasted far too long into the night for how early the sun would wake them up, but they would all agree it was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thanks for reading! I'm going to try and stick to a weekly release schedule, but with college coming up soon in August and it being weird with the pandemic and all, it may get a little wonky.


	3. Day 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bad Kids have a long hike to their next campsite and encounter frustrations along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adaine has a panic attack. It's not described in detail, but if that will trigger you or make you uncomfortable, skip the part between the asterisks. There will be a summary of that section in the end notes.

The rising sun’s light glinting into the tent was met with groans from the group. 

“‘s too fuckin’ early,” Fig mumbled into her sleeping bag.

Kristen wiggled out of her sleeping bag and stumbled over to the pile of backpacks. Pulling out a pair of pans, she ducked halfway into the tent and banged them together. “Good morning everyone!”  
Fig jolted upright, shouting “Fuck you!” and chased Kristen around the campground, laughing, as everyone else in the tent groaned loudly at the harsh awakening. Adaine concealed a smile as she began boiling water for oatmeal. 

Fig and Kristen finally settled down enough to get their bowls and join the rest of the group. Adaine spread the map out in the center of the circle after she finished cleaning her bowl.

“If I’m reading this right,” she said, “I think we’re pretty much going straight uphill today.”

“Damn. Guess it’s gonna be a long day.” Fig swallowed her spoonful of oatmeal.

They took a pause for lunch when the sun was at its highest point in the sky. Fig assumed that meant it was noon, but no one had a timepiece. It was wet and muddy, and the group perched awkwardly on logs.

Kristen shook her boot, and a large clump of mud fell off it. She made a face. “Yuck.”

“Yeah,” Fabian agreed as he scraped mud off his boots. “My dad talked about wading in the mud and blood of your enemies, but I didn’t realize how heavy and uncomfortable walking in mud is.”

“Man, your dad sounds badass,” Fig commented.

Fabian shrugged, looking away. “He is. I just hope to live up to his name someday.”

Kristen raised her eyebrows. “You know you’re a man and you deserve to be seen as a man no matter how ‘manly’ you are, right?”

Fabian sighed. “I guess.”

Kristen and Fig exchanged a look, but didn’t press the subject.

Adaine and Riz sat squeezed together on a small log, watching a very round frog struggle through the mud. 

“Poor guy,” Adaine said softly. She got off the log and knelt down, lifting the frog across the path. After she set him down, the frog, with a purr-like ribbit, hopped back onto her hand. “Hey, you want to go here. That’s where you were trying to go, silly frog.” The frog tilted his head, blinked, and stared up at her, remaining resolutely on her hand. “Alright, if that’s what you want.” Adaine lifted the frog up and sat him on her lap as she finished her lunch. The frog ribbited happily. 

“New friend?” Riz asked.

Adaine nodded. “I’ll call him…” She thought for a moment. “Boggarial Froggarial. Boggy for short.”

Riz blinked at her. “Unique name.”

Adaine stood, setting Boggy back down on the log. He cocked his head at her as she stored her bowl and hefted her backpack onto her back. She knelt and offered Boggy her hand. He hopped on, and Adaine lifted him up to her shoulder, where he hopped off, ribbiting softly, looking content.

The others watched, a bit stunned and confused. 

Kristen leaned over towards Riz. “Should we be concerned about this, or…?” she asked in a rather loud whisper. Riz shrugged.

They were still hiking well into the afternoon, most of them casting nervous glances at the setting sun. 

“Hey, Adaine! How much further does the map say it is?” Fig called out.

Adaine sighed. “For the twelfth time, Fig, I’m not sure. Maybe a mile? I can’t pinpoint our location on the map well without some sort of landmark.”

Gorgug led their pack, and Riz had wound up perched on Gorgug’s backpack sometime in the last half hour, in charge of looking ahead for anything identifiable on the map with the spyglass he had, for some reason, brought along with him. Adaine kept running her hand through her hair, tucking and untucking it behind her ear, occasionally pausing to pet Boggy. Fig kept winking at people, making them feel better but also rather confused. Kristen remained quite chipper.

As they took a breath-catching pause at the top of a particularly steep part of the trail, Riz asked the question on everyone’s minds: “So… at what point do we stop? Admit we’re not gonna make it before the sun sets?”

“We should not be hiking or even setting up tents or making dinner after it gets dark.” Fabian took a sip from his water bottle. “So it’s going to have to be soon.”  
“Shit,” Fig muttered.

*

“Hey, Adaine!” Fig called out again.

“I swear to the fucking gods, Fig, if you ask how much further, I am going to personally throw you off the nearest cliff!” Adaine shouted angrily.

Fig swallowed. “Oh. Ok.”

“Guys…” Riz pleaded.

“I can’t fucking tell where we are. I wish I could, ok, but I can’t,” Adaine continued.

Gorgug paused, turning around. “Adaine, Fig. I know it’s late. I know we’re all stressed out, ok? But we can’t get mad at each other. Together is the only way we’re gonna make it.”

Adaine took a deep breath, turning away slightly to try to hide the tears in the corners of her eyes. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“I shouldn’t have asked you so many times. I knew you didn’t know, I just want to know if we were going to make it.”

“I want to know too. But we can’t.  _ I _ can’t. I’m sorry I can’t. I  _ should  _ be able to figure this out.” Adaine was breathing quickly, feeling the panic flood her system. She said, in a barely audible voice, “Aelwyn would have been able to.”

Gorgug paused for a moment. “Ok. We can make it to the campsite, guys. Let’s keep going.”

“We can do it,” Adaine repeated quietly.

*

The group continued their trek up the trail. The sun sank further and further down towards the trees with each step as the anxiety in the group grew and grew. With each falter, there was a nod of reassurance from Gorgug, and they continued walking. Fig’s hand nudged Adaine’s, and they linked.

The last beams of light were still filtering over the trees as the group stumbled into the campsite. The tarp was dug out, and dinner began as whoops of success, excitement, and relief sounded around the site.

“We fuckin’ did it!” Fig cheered.

The group lay, curled up together (the nights got quite cold), under the safety of the tarp. 

“Hey, Gorgug,” Fig said, “I know I don’t talk about my feelings much–” she was interrupted by poorly concealed laughter “– but thanks, man. For, y’know, helping us get here.”

As the rest of the group murmured their thanks, Gorgug blushed. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Maybe, but you were the one who actually did it. And I think that’s the reason we made it here,” Adaine said. “So, thank you. And, Fig, I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

“I fucked up too, and I’m sorry about that.” Fig paused. “Adaine, do you want to talk about the whole, uh, Aelwyn thing? Now that, y’know, we don’t have a pressing time limit.”

Adaine’s body tensed. “Not… not tonight.” Boggy ribbited comfortingly.

“Ok.”

There was a long pause. Then, gentle snoring came from Gorgug’s form. There was some soft giggling as the rest of the worn-out group fell asleep next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> The next chapter might be a little late because I'm also dealing with a lot of college stuff right now.   
> Between the asterisks summary: Fig asks Adaine how much further, which frustrates Adaine since she doesn't know. Adaine thinks that she ought to know and that Aelwyn would have been able to figure it out and feels anxious. Gorgug helps her calm down, and Fig and Adaine apologize to each other.


	4. Day 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group discusses some tough things, then goofs off with a water fight.

Riz left the tent, blinking in the early morning sunlight, and walked over to where Adaine was staring blankly at the boiling water.

“Has it been boiling long enough to eat yet?” Riz mumbled.

Adaine jumped. “Um, sorry. I spaced off. Yeah.” She lifted the pot off the heat, bringing it over to the table where breakfast supplies were laid out.

Riz followed her. “Still thinking about yesterday?”

Adaine swallowed. “It’s hard not to.” Boggy shifted slightly on her shoulder, and she patted him, relaxing slightly.

Riz clambered onto the table with his bowl of oatmeal. “I get that. I really don’t think anyone’s mad at you or anything.”

“I know that rationally, but emotionally…”

Riz nodded.

“And I, I didn’t really want to think about Aelwyn out here.” Adaine stirred her oatmeal, staring at it.

Riz stopped eating and looked up at Adaine. He shifted nervously, clearly unsure how to respond. 

A few beats of silence passed, broken by a loud crash as Kristen tripped over the backpacks on the other side of the campsite. The moment shattered, Riz and Adaine returned to eating, Adaine quietly and Riz with vigorous noises. Kristen hollered that she was ok and stumbled over to them to eat as well as the others emerged into the sunlight.

They paused for lunch at a shady group of rocks, perching awkwardly upon them.

Adaine chewed her sandwich, staring at a blank patch of dirt on the ground, knees up to her chest. Unprompted, staring at nothing, she said, “Aelwyn is my sister. She’s the perfect child. I’m the failure.”

“Adaine!” Kristen exclaimed. “That’s not true.”

Adaine looked up, smiling ruefully. “No matter what I do, it’s not good enough. She loves to remind me of that.” 

“Adaine. Don’t be a fucking idiot.” Fig rubbed her spoon in between her fingers. “You’re important and good and fucking… enough.”

“I’m not my sister. I can’t be the good child, ok. It just always goes to shit.”

“You don’t have to be your sister.” Fabian said.

Adaine looked at him. “And you don’t have to be your father.”

Fabian looked down. “Point taken.”

Riz glanced away, eating his sandwich.

“That is the fucking point!” Fig said. “Neither of you have to be what you feel like you should be. And, to be honest, I really don’t feel like either of you should be what you think you should be.”

Kristen pointed her sandwich at Fig in agreement.

“Fabian,” Gorgug said, “I get the whole not-wanting-to-be-perceived-as-a-girl-ever-again thing, but that doesn’t mean that you have to follow your dad into this, like, pinnacle of masculinity thing. It’s fine to be a guy who likes ‘traditionally feminine’ things.” He pulled out his metal flower and offered it to Fabian. “Like this.”

Fabian hesitated, then reached out for the flower. Gorgug handed it to him, and Fabian tucked it into his backpack strap so that it sat displayed on the left side of his chest.

“And Adaine,” Gorgug continued, turning towards her. “You know that we’re gonna love you no matter how much you screw up, ok?”

Adaine nodded slightly.

“And if your parents can’t see how amazing you are,” Riz added, “that’s their loss.”

“Tracker’s uncle’s a therapist; I can give you his number if you want to talk with him,” Kristen added, polishing off her sandwich. “And he’s super chill and stuff so your parents don’t ever need to know.”

Adaine hugged Boggy close to her. She mumbled, “Thanks guys.”

There was a moment of silence. Adaine glanced around. “Well, if everyone’s done, should we keep going?”

It was only midafternoon when the group arrived at the campsite alongside a slow-flowing river under the hot sun.

“Oh, hell yeah!” Fig exclaimed, setting down her bag and immediately running into the river to cool off.

Kristen quickly chased after her. Fig whooped as Kristen waded in and immediately splashed her. As the others joined, it did not take too long for the water fight to descend to pure, joyous chaos. Loud laughter, screams of faux insult, and whoops of triumph echoed across the campsite, accompanied by the splashes of water. 

The water fight ended with the group laying in dripping, panting puddles on the shore, everyone completely soaked. 

Kristen laughed. “That was so fucking fun.”

Fig high-fived her. “Fuck yeah!”

Riz stumbled over to the pile of backpacks, wringing out his clothes, and began digging out the tent and dinner supplies. Gorgug and Adaine joined him, followed shortly by the other three, and, before too long, they were curled up on logs, eating some pretty decent spaghetti.

Between bites, Fig said, “This was a pretty good day, y’all.”

Adaine smiled slightly. “Yeah.”

Riz smiled and scooched a little closer to Adaine on their shared log.

Kristen swallowed her final bite and sat her bowl down. “Group hug, anyone?”

“Oh, hell yeah.” Fig leaned over and wrapped an arm around Kristen.

The rest of the group joined them, and they sat, arms wrapped around each other, heads on shoulders, smiles across faces, happy, comfortable, and, above all, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all, thanks for reading! Sorry there was no chapter last week, college sprang a bunch of suprises on me that did not do good things for my mental health, but I finally got them all in order and am doing much better.


	5. Day 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bad Kids cross a river and have discussions about identity.

Adaine awoke in a tangle of sleeping bags under the tarp. She squirmed slightly, trying to get out to prep breakfast. Riz mumbled sleepily as she shifted her arm under his head, and she froze before relaxing. It was okay if she didn’t have breakfast going by the time they woke up. Boggy ribbited softly as she quietly repeated that it was okay. 

Adaine awoke again under the tarp, this time deserted. She could hear a soft conversation, and she crawled out to see the group gathered around the camp stove, quietly debating how to light it.

Adaine laughed slightly as she walked over. “Here,” she said.

“Oh thank god you’re awake,” Riz said, “I’m pretty sure without you we’d light the forest on fire.”

“You have to connect the fuel here, like this,” Adaine said as she demonstrated.

Soon, the water was boiling, and breakfast supplies were laid out.

“Fuck,” Fig said as she stared at the rushing water in the river. “That’s not… shallow.”  
“Guess we should hike down the bank and see if there’s a tree or something across it?” Gorgug said questioningly.

Fabian nodded. “Here.” He began bushwacking his way upstream.

Each of them held branches aside for the next one to pass without being swatted, and they only walked for a short time before they found a downed tree.

“That’s pretty narrow…” Adaine said, stroking Boggy.

“Cross on hands and knees, I think,” Fig said.

Fabian stepped out onto the log, kneeling down. “Ok.”

He crossed slowly, everyone holding their breath. 

With a sigh of relief, followed by a cheer, Fabian tumbled off the log at the opposite bank, laying on the ground as the adrenaline drained out of him.

Fig swallowed, inching her way out onto the log. Halfway across, her hand slipped on a spot of wet bark, her backpack shifted, throwing her weight to the side, and she toppled sideways with a shriek. Her legs wrapped around the log, she hung upside down, gasping, and feeling weirdly grateful for all the time she spent at cheerleader practice. 

Gorgug immediately started crawling out on the log towards Fig. Fabian sat up, unclipped his backpack, and began crawling back across the log as well.

Riz shouted, “We’re gonna get you up. Fabian and Gorgug are coming to you! Hold on!”

Fig responded with a noise halfway between a relieved laugh and a panicked whimper.

“I’ve got you,” Gorgug said as he carefully reached out towards Fig. 

She reached up for him, and they clasped arms in a Predator handshake.

“Here!” Fabian, finally making it, said, offering his hand. 

Together, they pulled Fig back upright on the log. Fabian helped Fig remove her unwieldy backpack and began carrying it to the other side as Fig sat there, catching her breath.

“Fuck,” she said eloquently.

Gorgug laughed slightly. “Yeah. You ready to start moving again?”

Fig nodded and slowly inched her way across the log, Gorgug following behind her. She made it to the other side without any more issues.

On the other bank, Riz turned to Adaine, who looked panicked.

“You good?” he asked.

She swallowed. “Yeah.

Kristen glanced over. “You sure? D’you want to go next? I can go right after you to make sure you stay up.”

Adaine laughed slightly. “I’ve seen you trip over backpacks. Shouldn’t we be more worried about you than me?”

“Hey,” Kristen complained with a smile. “Fine, I’ll go next.”

She, then Adaine, and lastly Riz, all made their way across the log safely.

“God.” Fig said. “That was… not fun. Thanks guys for, y’know, saving me.”

“We’ll always be there to save you, Fig.” Gorgug said. “That’s what friendship should mean, right?”

Fig smiled a strained smile. “I don’t know, man. I’ve never, like,  _ really _ been friends with someone. I mean, I had friends, but, like, they didn’t know the actual me. Sometimes I don’t know the actual me. Fuck, I don’t know, it’s just all…” She trailed off, staring at the ground.

“Yeah,” Kristen said sympathetically. “I get that. Like, you hide for so long, the false identity starts to feel real, and suddenly you can’t tell which one is you anymore. But just figure out what makes you happy, and I promise we’ll support you.”

Fig wiped the tears out of the corners of her eyes. “Thanks.”

“Why don’t we eat lunch here,” Fabian suggested.

Fig nodded.

They approached the campsite in late afternoon and were settled into their sleeping bags, staring at the stars only shortly after the sun set.

“Kristen?” Fig said.  
“Yeah?”

“Thank you, for, uh, for what you said earlier.”

“Yeah. I mean, I hid the gay part of me for so long, when I finally realized it was, like, actually a part of me, I didn’t really know how to deal with it. And I didn’t really have anyone for support. But you’ve got us now.”

“All of us,” Riz added.

Fig smiled. “Thanks.”

“And you have us too, Kristen,” Gorgug said.

“I mean, I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do with myself after this – Is it too early to move in with Tracker? – but I’m grateful to have you all.”

“Ok, first,” Riz said. “You kissed this girl once and now–”

“She kissed me,” Kristen interrupted. “I freaked out and ran away. But I got her number so we’ve texted a couple times and stuff.”

Fig laughed. “What the fuck?”

“I know, jeez,” Kristen said, laughing. “But in all seriousness,” she continued, “thank you all. Now,” she announced, wriggling down into her sleeping bag, “I am going to go to sleep.”

The rest of the group laughed and followed her lead, cuddling up warmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Come say hi on tumblr! I'm whoopitslup


	6. Day 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bad Kids struggle with the idea that this is their last full day together.

“God,” Fig said as she ate her oatmeal. “At the start of this week I thought it was gonna be the longest week of my life. I can’t believe we go home tomorrow.”

Fabian shook his head. “Me neither.” 

Adaine unfolded the map. “It looks like tonight’s campsite is right next to the road… so this is our last day hiking.”

Riz sprawled backwards. “Finally… coffee… Thank the gods.”

Adaine laughed.

“There’s a hell of a lot to like about the world outside this forest,” Fig said, “but… I’m gonna miss what we had here.”

“I think we all are,” Kristen said. “But we all got crystals and stuff. We can still stay in touch.”

“I went to a lot of summer camps as a kid. I promised to stay in touch a lot. We never did.” Fig stared dejectedly at her bowl.

“The past doesn’t dictate the future,” Adaine said.

“Yeah, and we wouldn’t go through something like this together and then just, like, completely stop communicating,” Gorgug added.

Fig nodded. “I just… I don’t want to lose you guys.” She looked up, tears in her eyes.

“I promise,” Gorgug said, wrapping an arm around Fig, “you will have to try pretty damn hard to lose us.”

Fig laughed slightly. “Thanks man.”

“This feels so surreal,” Fabian said as he and Riz pitched the tent that afternoon. “It seriously does not feel like time to leave already.”

Riz nodded. “My coffee withdrawal says it is, but the rest of me agrees. It’s gonna be weird, going back to my mom’s apartment, being alone for most of the time.”

Fabian made a face. “That can’t be healthy.”

Riz groaned. “You sound like my mom. I’m getting out. Yes, it’s for case work, but I am leaving the house,  _ mother _ .”

Fabian rolled his eyes then laughed. “Plus, I’m pretty sure we’re gonna have a reunion in like a month if not sooner, based on how everybody’s doing.”

Kristen bounced over, promptly tripping over one of the ropes. “I’m fine,” she exclaimed, sprawled on the ground. “What’re you two talking about?” She added, getting up and grabbing another rope to help.

Fabian retied the rope Kristen had tripped over with an overly dramatic sigh as Riz said, “I was making fun of Fabian for being concerned about my health and well-being.”

Kristen nodded. “Makes sense.”

“I just don’t want him sitting in a dark apartment all day,” Fabian protested.

“It’s not dark! I fucking turn on the lights; I have to read my clue board and stuff.”

“Holy shit, you actually have a clue board?” Kristen asked. “I thought that was just like a tv thing.”

Riz looked offended. “I wouldn’t be a proper private investigator without one.”

Fabian shook his head. “I’m going to be texting your ass to make sure you get outside and are socializing and stuff.”

“Just my ass?” Riz asked with a shit-eating grin.

“Fuck off,” Fabian complained with a smile as Kristen started laughing.

On the other side of the campsite, Adaine, Gorgug, and Fig prepped dinner.

Fig, chopping cheese, said, “They’re having fun.” She gestured with the knife over to the other group.

“Fig, for fuck’s sake, knife safety,” Adaine said, stirring the meat.

Fig grinned and rolled her eyes.

Gorgug added some spices to the meat. “We are too. Just… slightly more quietly. Also, this smells really good.”

Fig leaned over to smell the meat. “Fuck, I don’t know if its the hungriness talking, but that’s damn good.”

Adaine smiled. “Yeah.”

Fig returned to slicing the cheese. “It’s kind of hard to treasure this last day with the bittersweet feeling of leaving looming.”

Gorgug shrugged. “So treasure the sweet and acknowledge the bitter.”

Fig paused and looked up at Gorgug. “Damn. That was actually kind of deep.”

“Because of my mental illnesses,” Adaine said, “I’ve got a lot of practice being sad when I should be happy. And, yeah, the pain of missing you is already beginning to set in. Gorgug’s right. Don’t hide the sad, but let yourself enjoy the happy.”

Fig smiled. “I’m so glad to have met you guys.”

“Now,” Riz said as they lay in a pile under the stars, “are you finally going to let me and Adaine point constellations out to you?”

Fig laughed. “Fine.”

“There,” Riz pointed, “that collection of six stars is the Six Siblings.”

“The legend,” Adaine said, “tells of six children who were given new life among the stars together after fighting and dying together in an ancient war.”

“I like that,” Kristen said. “It sounds like us.”

“It’s nearly always visible in Solace, so we can look up and see it and remember,” Adaine said quietly.

Fig smiled. “I will.”

Riz and Adaine continued to point out constellations until they were the only ones left awake, before they too drifted off into sleep, surrounded by the warmth of friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Six Siblings is very loosely based on the Pleides aka the Seven Sisters.  
> Thanks for reading!  
> Say hi on tumblr, I'm whoopitslup


	7. Day 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bad Kids spend one last morning together before leaving

Fig rolled over, propping herself up on her elbows. Actually getting out of her sleeping bag felt like admitting that the day had started and that they would be leaving soon.

“Morning,” Adaine said, as she made her bowl of oatmeal.

Fig flopped back down dramatically. “I can’t believe it's morning already. I just want to stay here forever.”

“If you don’t get out of that tent soon,” Fabian threatened, “I will take it down around you.”

Fig groaned and dragged herself out, shuffling over to the fallen tree that boasted the breakfast foods. 

Kristen made a face as she prepared her oatmeal. “At least I don’t have to eat oatmeal every single day anymore.”

Riz made a noise of agreement, garbled through his full mouth.

“Don’t lie,” Fig said, “you’re going to miss this shitty oatmeal.”

“I’m not going to miss the oatmeal itself,” Gorgug said, “I’m going to miss the company I had while eating it.”

Adaine smiled as she sat down next to Gorgug. “Me too.”

Kristen took a seat next to her. “Does anyone have paper or something so we can write down all our crystal numbers?”

“Yeah,” Riz said, standing back up and walking over to his backpack. He pulled out a notepad with a magnifying glass on the front and flipped it open. The notebook travelled around the circle as each person recorded their number.

“Great,” Riz said, when it made it back to him, “I’ll start a group chat when my crystal actually has power.”

As they stood to put away dishes, the sounds of a car came rumbling along the dusty road. The group exchanged glances, knowing what this noise meant. Arthur Aguefort’s van pulled up to the campsite, and he climbed out of the driver’s seat.

“Good morning children!” he exclaimed. “Happy to see you all survived. There’s so much paperwork when that doesn’t happen. Anyway, toss your things in the back and hop in.”

The drive to the airport wasn’t long, maybe an hour and a half, but everyone was quiet. It suddenly felt real that they were going back to their normal lives, away from the people they sat with.

Aguefort pulled up to the airport, and the group disembarked, sticking together through security before splitting up to find their gates.

Fig felt her crystal buzz in her pocket as she took a seat in the uncomfortable airport chairs.

**Unknown Number** : Hey it’s Riz. Anybody got free time before their flight to grab lunch?

**Unknown Number:** This is Kristen and hell yeah

**Riz** : Sweet meet you at the food court

**Unknown Number:** I, Fabian, shall be there too

**Fig:** It’s Fig, and definitely

Fig shoved her crystal back into her pocket and made her way over to the food court, ignoring the buzzing of the others responding. Kristen waved excitedly at her. In less than five minutes, the whole group was gathered, debating the merits of the various terrible airport restaurants.

They wound up splitting up, picking different restaurants before reconvening at a table. The table, clearly meant for four, was way too small for the six people crowded around it, but the food court was too full to pull two together so they made do.

Riz was sitting on Gorgug’s lap, drinking coffee, with his burger balanced in his lap. Adaine and Fig shared a seat, which was going about as well as either of them expected.

Riz sipped his drink. “God, I missed coffee.”

“We’re aware,” Fig said.

Riz stuck his tongue out at her, and she laughed.

Kristen pulled her crystal out. “Group photo everyone!”

“I haven’t finished my kippers,” Fabian protested as everyone leaned in, giving cheesy grins.

“Tough luck!” Kristen snapped a couple photos and sent them on the group chat.

Riz smiled as they came through. “Ok, ignore the one where my eyes are closed.”

“No way, that’s definitely my contact photo for you,” Fig joked.

Riz groaned.

Adaine checked her crystal. “Shit, I need to go.”

The smiles immediately faded.

“We’re going to miss you, Adaine,” Gorgug said, offering a hug which she gladly accepted.

Adaine was passed around a hug circle, then, as she rushed off to her gate, they stared at each other.

“I should probably go soon too,” Riz said, looking down at his shoes.

“Yeah,” Gorgug said, looking at his crystal.

In a rush of tears, hugs, and goodbyes, the rest of the group parted, each hustling off to their gate.

Fig looked down at her buzzing crystal as she boarded. Adaine had sent a single red heart to the group chat, and Fig smiled. They loved her, and she loved them. But, god, missing them was going to hurt.

She swallowed, liked Adaine’s message, then flipped her crystal onto airplane mode. It was going to be a long flight home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Note that the chapters have been pushed up to eight. Epilogue coming soon!  
> Say hi on tumblr. I'm whoopitslup.


	8. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next year or so of the Bad Kids' lives, as shown through their group text

_ August 24 - 3:03pm _

**Kristen:** Just landed!

_ August 24 - 3:18pm _

**Kristen:** I guess everyone else is still on the plane

_ August 24 - 3:36pm _

**Kristen:** Miss you all!

**Kristen:** Let me know when you landed

… 

_ August 30 - 11:39pm _

**Fig:** You guys!!!!

**Riz:** What?

**Fig:** I just kissed Ayda!!!

**Kristen:** Congrats!!!

**Fig:** And then I did skate away from her in panic… 

**Fabian:** *facepalm*

**Fig:** But then we kissed again and it was wonderful and I want her to be my girlfriend ahhh she’s so amazing

**Adaine:** I’m happy for you Fig

…

_ September 4 - 7:46 _

**Kristen:** So you know how I joked about moving in with Tracker and her uncle

**Kristen:** Well, I did

**Kristen:** Today

**Fig:** What the fuck

**Adaine:** … is there room for me too?

**Kristen:** Absol-fucking-lutely

**Adaine:** Wait seriously

**Kristen:** Hell yeah

**Fabian:** But do you really want to listen to Tracker and Kristen have sex every night?

**Kristen:** It’s not every night

**Kristen:** Well it is most nights…

**Kristen:** You know what, fuck off Fabian

**Fabian:** Fair

**Riz:** Adaine seriously get out of your parents’ house

**Riz:** Text Jawbone

**Fig:** Yeah I’m sure Tracker and Kristen will keep it down

**Kristen:** Fuck you too Fig

**Kristen:** And fuck Adaine’s parents most of all

**Adaine:** Holy shit

**Adaine:** Jawbone said he’d come pick me up Tuesday to move in

**Riz:** Hell yeah

**Adaine:** I can’t believe it

**Adaine:** It’s like a six hour drive on a work day

**Adaine:** What the fuck

**Gorgug:** You deserve it

**Fig:** ^^^

…

_ October 15 - 11:29pm _

**Riz:** [Image Sent]

**Riz:** My mom got me a real private investigator’s license!

**Adaine:** Congratulations!

**Gorgug:** That’s awesome, man!

**Riz:** I’m so excited for my first case! It’s about this missing girl, Penny… [text 1 of 47]

… 

_ November 7 - 2:19pm _

**Gorgug:** So you guys remember Zelda right?

**Fig:** Yeah

**Gorgug:** We’re officially dating now

**Fig:** Fucking finally

**Adaine:** I’m happy for you!

**Kristen:** Dude, congrats!

**Kristen:** It’s about time

**Gorgug:** Hey :(

**Fig:** We’re just kidding with you

**Fig:** Seriously, that’s great man

… 

_ December 15th - 3:13pm _

**Fabian:** Um

**Fabian:** So

**Fabian:** I may have killed my father

**Fig:** What the actual fuck

**Kristen:** wtf Fabian

**Riz:** Are you ok?

**Fabian:** He was dying and he wanted me to

**Fabian:** So yeah

**Gorgug:** … 

**Gorgug:** Is this like a normal thing?

**Gorgug:** Are you good?

**Fabian:** Yeah

**Fabian:** It’s not exactly a great situation

**Fabian:** But that’s always how he wanted to go

**Fig:** I have so many questions

… 

Fig stopped scrolling through the group chat as the train pulled into Riz’s station. She pressed her face to the window, looking for him. Soon they’d pull into Adaine and Kristen’s station, and they would all be together. All of them were finally reuniting after a year apart. She smiled as she watched Riz board, grabbed her bag, and darted off down to train to meet him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading!  
> This is my first posted fanfic, and I'm so pleased by the reactions I've received.  
> Say hi on tumblr, I'm whoopitslup!


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